Safety mechanism for rockable hobbyhorses



F. SE BASTIAN SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ROCKABLE HOBBYHORSES Filed Feb. 24, 1953 June 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. BY Fa'zep $345270 ,y/s armada- June 1, 1954 55 s-n 2,680,019

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ROCKABLE HOBBYHORSES Filed Feb. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

5 zlaw zw Patented June 1, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ROCKABLE HOBBYHORSES Ford Se Bastian, Chicago, 111., assignor to Electro- Snap Switch & Mfg. 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 8 Claims. 1

My invention relates to safety mechanism for rookable hobby horses and has for its principal object the provision of the construction hereinafter more fully set forth, which Will be highly eficient in use for its intended purpose and economical in manufacture.

A hobby horse with which my invention is intended to be associated includes a body purporting to represent a rocket ship. In this body a child normally rests upon a seat in a sitting posture with its handles grasping a steering wheel or other simulated part of a rocket ship. This simulated rocket ship is designed to rock about a horizontal axis and oscillate in a vertical plane. Consequently, in the absence of means for releasably restraining the body of the rocket ship from this lateral rocking during ingress or egress of the child therefrom, or by reason of the childs standing, rather than sitting, in the ship whereby the child might be caused by the lateral rocking motion of the ship to lose its balance and fall from the ship to its injury.

My invention therefore has as a principal object the provision of a simple, inexpensive and effective arrangement for releasably latching the body of the hobby horse against lateral rocking movement until and unless the child is safely seated upon the seat in such body.

While I have referred to the hobby horse as having a rockable body simulating a rocket ship, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the specific form of the body of the hobby horse. V

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig, 1 is a perspective view of a hobby horse having my invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hobby horse shown in Fig. l with the body thereof removed;

Fig. 3 is an end sectional detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

F g. 4 is a side sectional detail view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig, 6;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing my improved safety device; and

Fi '7 is a suggested power circuit embodied in the invention.

The several objects of my invention are preferably accomplished by the preferred form of construction and the arrangement of parts as shown in the drawings and as hereinafter described.

My invention in its present form is associated with a hobby horse comprising a bas H], a body I l having a seat pit l2, a simulated steering wheel I3, and a laterally rockable frame M for supporting the body H and to which frame the body H is fixedly secured in any suitable manner.

The body H is supported for lateral rolling motion and vertical oscillatory movement from the base it by a structure [5 which includes horizontally extending end frames it. Extending vertically from one of these frames it are bars l9; journaled through the upper end of these bars 50 are shafts ll. These shafts ll project horizontally and in opposite directions from the bars It as viewed in Fig. 2. The inner ends of the shafts ll fixedly carry a downwardly extending tapered frame i i, which frame i i has its end in turn connected to a flange 26 of the body H. The vertical oscillatory movement of the body I I is accomplished through the medium of a suitable motor Id. The lateral rolling motion is accomplished by having the body ll freely carried on the shafts ll whereby any shifting of the weight of the body H or its occupant will cause the desired lateral rolling motion. The method and structur for accomplishing the vertical oscillating movement makes up no part of the present invention and is therefor only schematically illustrated in the drawings.

The structure for restricting the above described lateral rolling motion of the body II incorporates the bars [8. The forward bar is at a selected point between its opposite end portions has secured thereto in any suitable manner, a latch bar 26 of T-shaped formation to provide a flange 2| which is adapted to engage between a pair of oppositely disposed keeper fingers 22.

These keeper fingers 22 at outer end portions are pivotally connected for horizontal movement by means of bolts 23 to a supporting bar 24, the ends of which are connected as at 25 to inturned flanges 26 of the body supporting frame It. The keeper fingers are normally urged into latched position with respect to the latch flange 2| by means of leaf springs 21 carried by an upstanding flange 28 of an angle plate 29. In this latched position, the latch fingers 22 have a portion of their inner ends in abutting relation with the latch flange 2!, as viewed in'Fig. 5. This angle plat 29 is connected to a flat plate 30 in turn connected as at 3! to the bar 24.

On the plate 30 is mounted an electromagnetic coil 32 including a plunger 34. This plunger 34 is normally projected outwardly with respect to the coil 32 by means of springs 35 connected to the plunger as at 36 and to pins 31 carried by the keeper fingers 22. The outward projection of the plunger 34 is limited by a stop finger 38 carried by and secured to the plate 29. The electromagnetic coil 32 is connected in circuit with a suitable power source 38 (Fig. 7).

In this power circuit is arranged a plunger-type switch 40, the plunger of which is spring-pressed against a seat cushion i! of the seat 42 arranged in said pit i2 of the body H. The arrangement is such that the weight of an occupant upon the seat cushion 4! will close the switch 30 to effect energization of the coil 32. Upon energization of the coil 32 the plunger 34 will be retracted within the coil 32 against the action of the springs 35. This movement of the plunger will, through the springs 35, pivot the keeper fingers 22 laterally with respect to the flange 25 from latched engagement with the latch flange 2| with the result that the body H may be freely rocked about a horizontal axis as long as the occupant remains with its weight upon the seat 4 I Should, however, the child occupying the seat ll stand up during the lateral oscillation of the body H, the circuit to the coil 32 will be deenergized with the result that the plunger 34, by action of the springs 35, will be projected from the coil 32 and thus permit the springs 27 to pivot the keeper fingers 22 into latched engagement with the latch flange 2i. With these fingers in latched engagement with the latch flange 2! the body ii will be held against lateral rocking movement, The body ll will thus be held against lateral rocking movement during the time that the child is climbing into or out of the seat pit i2 and until the child sits upon the seat Hl. By such an arrangement safe guard is provided, so that the child is prevented from being thrown ofi balance and possibly falling out of the seat due to the lateral rocking motion of the body H, were such safety arrangement not provided.

The value of my invention can well be appreciated when it is considered that children of tender age frequently amuse themselves by using mechanical hobby horses.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a movable keeper carried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable with said keeper, means for projecting the keeper into engagement with the latch member, and means for retracting said keeper from said latched engagement with said latch member, said last-named means including a power circuit and a switch, the latter located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of a body on said seat member.

2. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a movable keeper carried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable with said keeper, means for projecting the keeper into engagement with the latch member, and electromagnetic means for retracting said keeper from said latched engagement with said latch member, said lastnamed means including a power circuit and a switch, the latter located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of a body on said seat member.

3. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and looking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a movable keeper carried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable with said keeper, spring means for yieldably projecting the keeper into engagement with the latch member, and means for retracting said keeper from said latched engagement with said latch member, said lastnarned means including a power circuit and a switch, the latter located beneath said seat memher and operable by the weight of a body on said seat member.

4. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a movable keeper car ried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable with said keeper, spring means for yieldably projecting the keeper into engagement with the latch member, and electromagnetic means for retracting said keeper from said latched engagement with said latch member, said last-named means including a power circuit and a switch, the latter located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of a body on said seat member.

5. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat mem ber mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a movable keeper carried by the framestructure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable with said keeper, means for projecting the keeper into engagement with the latch member, electromagnetic means including a plunger, spring means for connecting said plunger to said keeper, and a power circuit for said electromagnetic means, said circuit including circuit closing means located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of an occupant on said seat member.

6. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a movable keeper carried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable with said keeper, means for projecting the keeper into engagement with the latch member, electromagnetic means including a plunger, spring means for connecting said plunger to said keeper, and a power circuit for said electromagnetic means, said circuit including circuit closing means located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of an occupant on said seat member, said keeper projecting means acting on said keeper to project said plunger outwardly of said electromagnetic means.

7. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a pair of oppositely disposed keeper fingers pivotally carried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable between adjacent ends of the keeper fingers, means for yieldably projecting the keeper fingers into engagement with the latch member, and means for retracting said keeper fingers from said latched engagement with said latched member, said last-named means including a power circuit and a circuit closing member, the latter located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of an occupant on said seat member.

8. A safety means for a hobby horse having a body provided with a seat pit and a seat member mounted in the pit and a frame structure supporting the body and means for supporting the frame structure for lateral rocking movement about a, substantially horizontal axis, and locking means for locking the structure against lateral rocking movement about a substantially horizontal axis comprising a pair of oppositely disposed keeper fingers pivotally carried by the frame structure, a latch member carried by the means supporting the frame structure and engageable between adjacent ends of the keeper fingers, means for yieldably projecting the keeper fingers into engagement with the latch member, electromagnetic means including a plunger, and means connectin the plunger to said keeper fingers for retracting said keeper fingers from said latched engagement with said latched member, said last-named means including a power circuit and a circuit closing member, the latter located beneath said seat member and operable by the weight of an occupant on said seat member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,791,777 Webb Feb, 10, 1931 2,422,552 Jensen June 17, 1947 2,441,401 Eckstein May 11, 1948 2,524,238 Soule Oct. 3, 1950 2,607,590 Wheaton Aug. 19, 1952 2,622,878 Mooney Dec. 23, 1952 

